CAPE TOWN – As accomplished as it’s always been, the BMW 7 Series has long played a distant second fiddle to the almost luxury car genre-defining Mercedes S-Class. But it looks as though the sixth-generation of the Bavarian marque’s halo offering, although differing in its approach to luxury motoring from the S, might have the goods to change all of that.
Subtle inside…
While exterior styling is usually the first port of call when assessing an all-new car, luxury sedans in the 7’s class are more often judged on the sumptuousness of their cabins. And here the new 7 is an acquired affair. There’s no doubting the quality of the materials at play here; there’s a considerable board-footage of wood trim, tactile metal-finish switchgear and the hides of several head of well-kept cattle sewn into a cabin that’s about as solidly screwed together as you could hope for in a car of this ilk. But the aesthetic execution of such elements as the dash and centre console perhaps doesn’t feel far enough removed from lower-rung BMW models, leaving the cabin wanting in terms of the sort of sense of theatre you’d encounter in the S-Class’s interior. One aspect that surprised was a boot that, although long, is rather shallow.
That said, if you consider subtlety the better measure of class there’s precious little to complain about – the cabin is spacious, the seats form-hugging and supportive and the myriad buttons and sub-menus, which you can mine via an enhanced iDrive system, hint at a car that bristles with technology. But more on that later…
…and outside
The interior’s ever-so-subtle approach to luxury car-dom has not so much been carried over, as amplified in the new car’s exterior styling.
When I first saw the wraps come off the new 7 Series last year its unveiling elicited a bizarre admixture of muted appreciation and disappointment, and seeing the car in the metal has done little to change that stance.
You get the impression that the ears of the folks in BMW’s styling department are still ringing from the uproar that the Chris Bangle-styled fourth-generation model, with its flame surfacing and ungainly rump, caused. And subsequently the 7’s design has taken a considerably safer tack ever since.
Granted, the 7 has never been one to stand atop a building and holler its presence to the world, but despite its clean lines and neat proportions there is a feeling that it may be a touch too demure for a near-R1,4-million car. That said, there is a certain appeal to its “stealth limo” appearance and neat little details such as grille louvres that seal up to hide the radiator and other bits of the car’s innards otherwise visible to passers by. But it’s one particular little detail – a small carbon-fibre-trimmed badge bearing the words ‘Carbon Core’ – that’s of particular interest here.
That said, there is a certain appeal to its “stealth limo” appearance and neat little details such as grille louvres that seal up to hide the radiator and other bits of the car’s innards otherwise visible to passers by. But it’s one particular little detail – a small carbon-fibre-trimmed badge bearing the words ‘Carbon Core’ – that’s of particular interest here.
Lightweight luxury
Until now, BMW’s forays into the world of carbon-fibre construction have been limited to its striking range of i-series electric vehicles. The 7’s Carbon Core construction sees the lightweight material applied to the pillars and central tunnel and, in the case of the 730d, results in a weight saving of 130 kg compared with its equivalent predecessor. And it’s something you come to appreciate come driving time.
On the road
On the face of it the behind-the-wheel experience in car such as this is often considered something of a moot point, especially when we’re bombarded with press material showing a well-groomed executive lounging on the pillowy back seat with broadsheet in hand and an ‘I’m about to seal that deal’ smirk on their faces. Yet the truth is that the majority of these cars are owner driven.
That’s not to say that our chauffeured section of the drive was at all unpleasant; even in the standard wheelbase models there’s plentiful sprawling space and the Android tablet controlling myriad infotainment features is a novel touch.
But as a drivers’ tool the BMW 730d stands out from the luxo-barge crowd. Where spirited driving sees its rivals wallowing on soft springs, thanks to its new-found weight savings the 7’s body control is comparatively tight and the steering, if not pin-sharp, is pleasingly direct and makes hustling the car on sweeping roads a fairly engaging experience.
The expected trade-off in ride quality isn’t as marked as it used to be, as the air-sprung suspension has shed much of the jitteriness that plagued the previous car and the ride is far more resolved. Does it match the S-Class’s magic carpet-like ability to waft effortlessly over road scars? Without a back-to-back comparison it’s hard to tell. But recalling my experiences with a number of S models I’m inclined to say it’s a far closer-run thing than ever before.
BMW has squeezed a 5 kW more out of the 3,0-litre inline-six turbodiesel bumping the power up to 195 kW. But it’s the seamless manner in which this bit of extra oomph is overseen by an excellently matched 8-speed transmission, along with the hearty 620 N.m of torque chiming smoothly in at 2 000 r/min that gives the engine a pleasingly flexible demeanour that plays against the backdrop of a soft-edged straight-cylinder soundtrack. It also contributes to a cabin that’s impressively sealed from mechanical noise, although some tyre hiss is discernible.
All that tech…
As mentioned earlier the 7 is something of a technological treasure trove and going through every feature would risk this already long write-up becoming a proper scroll-fest, so mention will go to two of the car’s stand-out features. First up is gesture control; a component of the now touchscreen-enabled iDrive that allows you to perform such gesture commands as twirling your index finger to adjust audio volume or stab two fingers toward the screen to answer phone calls. It generally worked well during our drive but is one of those features that could just as easily become second nature or be relegated to a novelty by the familiar iDrive. Then there’s the semi-autonomous drive system, which utilises radar and stereoscopic camera arrays to brake and accelerate, and gently shepherd you into your lane when you’re running adrift. It also applies gentle steering input to follow moderate curves in the road. As disconcerting as it initially seems, the system is trustworthy enough to afford you some respite from the constant, but often imperceptible adjustments that tire you out during long stints behind the wheel.
Summary
In a segment that’s all but become the sole preserve of Mercedes’ halo sedan, the engineers at BMW have polished out most of the 7’s previous shortcomings to suddenly close the gap between the two. Some will argue that the BMW’s lack of visual drama and surfeit of gadgets make it a rather sober character when viewed next to the S, but the improvements to the ride, great build and material quality and a driving experience that’s more engaging are strong counters.
In all, the new 7 is a thoroughly impressive car. The showdown with the S, our reigning luxury saloon champion, should be anything but a foregone conclusion.
